Sandymount & Allans Beach Lookout

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Route: Sandymount Road, Sandymount Lookout

Date: 27/01/2026
From: Sandymount Reserve

Parking: Sandymount Road
Start Point: Sandymount Road 

Finish Point: Sandymount Road
Region: Sandymount Recreation Area

Route length: 2.0 km 

Time taken: 00:45
Average speed: 4.0 km/h
Ascent: 60m
Descent: 60m

Points of Interest: Sandymount Lookout

The Sandymount Recreation Reserve on the Otago Peninsula offers one of the most rewarding short hikes in the region, delivering sweeping views over Hoopers Inlet and the long golden sweep of Allans Beach.

This area is rich not only in scenery but also in wildlife and local character. Hoopers Inlet is known for its calm waters and charming boatsheds, and the surrounding beaches are frequent haunts of sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins—one of the world's rarest penguin species. The short tracks from Sandymount provide some of the best elevated views of both the inlet and the beach, making this an ideal stop for photographers and nature lovers.

The Sandymount walk begins at the car park at the end of Sandymount Road. To get there, turn off Highcliff Road and follow the narrow gravel road to the reserve boundary. From the car park, the track leads you directly into a stunning corridor of historic macrocarpa trees—a living tunnel planted over a century ago. This path soon opens into coastal pastureland, leading you toward the cliffs. While the full Sandymount Loop is currently closed due to safety issues, the essential out-and-back walk to the main viewpoint remains open and easy to navigate.

Sandymount car park

It's just 900m from the car park to the view point

The corridor of macrocarpa trees

As you walk, you’re traversing an active working farm that preserves the area's early agricultural heritage. Remnants like weathered farm buildings and old fenced paddocks still dot the landscape, and you’ll likely share the path with grazing sheep. It’s a poignant reminder of the peninsula's character, where rugged farming history sits right on the edge of the untamed Southern Ocean.

It is a gentle 900-metre stroll from the car park to the primary lookout. After about 400 metres, the track approaches a gate marked by orange-tipped posts. Instead of turning west through the gate, follow the marked path for another 150 metres to reach the main viewing deck. Standing 200 metres above the Pacific, the vantage point is nothing short of spectacular.

You'll be sharing the track with some of  the local sheep

The path to the lookout

The new lookout platform above Allans Beach

From the Sandymount viewpoint, you’re treated to a sweeping panorama that takes in the long golden curve of Allans Beach below, the calm blue waters and wandering shoreline of Hoopers Inlet, the prominent volcanic peak of Mount Charles / Poatiri, and the inland rise of Harbour Cone / Wharekākahu, all framed by rugged coastal cliffs overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean. The outlook also stretches across rolling coastal farmland, dotted with grazing sheep and historic farm buildings - classic Otago Peninsula character.

Allans Beach and Hoopers Inlet - Papanui Inlet can be seen in the distance

Mount Charles

Allans Beach

Sandymount

While the full loop remains closed, the short stroll to the lookout easily justifies the drive. To see Sandymount at its best, try to time your visit for the 'golden hour' just before sunset; the low light sets the white sands of Allans Beach aglow and turns the rolling hills into a sea of brilliant, velvet green. Since the track is fully exposed to the Pacific, it’s wise to pack a windbreaker even on sunny days—that ocean breeze can be surprisingly brisk.

The view from the lookout

Hoopers Inlet

The wild South Pacific

Mount Charles

Once you’ve soaked in the views from the top, consider driving down to the base of the cliffs to Allans Beach itself. It’s a fantastic spot to see sea lions basking on the sand, providing a completely different perspective of the heights you just conquered. 

Allans Beach

New Zealand fur seal

Allans Beach

Allans Beach and Sandymount

New Zealand sea lions

Whether you’re a local looking for a weekend escape or a visitor ticking off the peninsula’s highlights, Sandymount remains a poignant reminder of why this corner of New Zealand is so special—a place where rugged farm heritage meets the untamed beauty of the Southern Ocean.